


Self-care Sunday

by ArielAquarial



Series: Family of Three [11]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: A bit of Bob Ross, Alternate Universe, Bonding, Boyfriends, Castiel and Dean Winchester in Love, Castiel is Claire Novak's Parent, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Family Bonding, Fluff, M/M, No Angst, Pedicures, pink nail polish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-10-09 16:53:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17410661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArielAquarial/pseuds/ArielAquarial
Summary: Dean woke up one morning with a pimple the size of a small island, and Cas is finally able to convince him to join them in a night of sheet masks and pedicures.





	Self-care Sunday

He stomped out of the master bathroom and through Cas’s house, still in his pajama pants and faded ACDC shirt, looking for the man. It was in the office that he found him, sitting at his desk, the sewing machine whirring away as he pulled blue fabric under the foot. He should have known. Anytime Cas had a day off from teaching, he could be found in his office, computer monitor pushed aside, and sewing machine center stage. He opened the glass door and shut it loudly, hoping to gain Cas’s attention so the man could see just how angry Dean was. Whether he heard him or not, Cas continued sewing, his forehead frowning as he concentrated on the curve he was sewing.

 

Dean cleared his throat loudly and folded his arms, pissed that Cas wasn’t acknowledging his foul mood. “Cas.”

 

When Cas still didn’t look up, he took a step forward and grabbed the sewing instructions, knowing that Cas would soon look at the sheet of paper for the next step.

 

It took a minute, but soon Cas let off of the foot pedal and the machine went quiet. When his eyes met Deans, it was with a look of silent annoyance. “Yes?”

 

“How could you, Cas?”

 

Cas frowned, but didn’t reply.

 

“Oh…” Dean continued. “So, you’re just going to play dumb?”

 

Still no reply.

 

“I can’t believe you wouldn’t tell me, babe.”

 

Finally, Cas took the bait. “Tell you what, Dean?”

 

“Tell me what?” He repeated back in a hiss. “Why didn’t you tell me that I have a giant zit on my forehead?”

 

Cas’s eyes flickered to where Dean was pointing. “I didn’t see it.”

 

Dean threw his hands into the air. “I can’t believe this.”

 

“Dean…” Cas murmured, his voice placating. “I didn’t even notice, I promise.”

 

“That is a lie.” Dean grunted and pointed at his forehead. “Its right fuckin there.”

 

Cas leaned back in his chair, his arms crossing over his chest. “So?”

 

“What do you mean, ‘so’?”

 

“Its just a pimple.”

 

“Of course it’s just a pimple, I’m not stupid.” He groused. “But its right in the middle of my fucking forehead! Look at it!”

 

Cas rolled his eyes. “It’s not bad, Dean.”

 

Dean had looked into the mirror that morning, he had seen the nasty red thing. Dean Winchester never got pimples like this. He got the rare whitehead, but never this ugly red swollen monstrosity that was sitting like a bull’s-eye right in the middle of his forehead. “You’re right. It’s not bad…it’s horrible!”

 

“Dean…” Cas stood up and walked around his desk so he was standing in front of Dean. “I love you, but you’re being a little dramatic.”

 

“I’m not being dramatic!” he complained, careful to keep his voice neutral. “You wouldn’t understand, Cas. You have perfect skin. Like all the time…”

 

“I take very good care of my skin.” Cas reminded him. “You know this.”

 

Dean shook his head in a mixture of annoyance and fondness. “Yeah. I know, you take forever washing your face. What is it, 7 steps or something? You take forever in the morning, babe.”

 

Cas frowned. “I could let you use a few of my products. They might help.”

 

Dean took his head back, his hands held up in warning. “I’m not putting all that crap on my face, Babe. Soap and water…that’s all I’ve ever needed.”

 

“Come on, Dean. Its Sunday, you could join Claire and I.”

 

Dean shrugged. “Is this that self-care Sunday thing you two do?”

 

“Yes. It’s important to me that Claire learns how to care for and pamper herself, even at a young age. You’ve never joined us, but we’d love it if you did. We do sheet masks, paint our toes, and watch Bob Ross on Netflix.”

 

He rolled his eyes. Dean had been asked to join almost every Sunday, but he had always declined. There was just something about doing that kind of girly shit that didn’t settle well with Dean. It was probably some deep seeded daddy issues, but there was no way he was opening that can of worms. “I think I’m going to pass.”

 

“Are you sure? I could help you set up your own skin care routine. It doesn’t have to be as involved as mine, but it’s a nice way to unwind at the end of the day. There have been many studies about the power or routines, and skin care can be one of them.”

 

“No.” Dean grunted, thinking about his pimple and the possibility of it getting worse if he started slathering shit all over it. “I’m not joining you on your stupid fucking self care Sunday.”

 

“Dean…” Cas’s blue eyes were downcast. “You’re being unkind.”

 

“Fuck…” Dean muttered, suddenly feeling like the world’s biggest dick. “I’m sorry, Cas. I’m an asshole. You’re right, god damnit. I’m just…”

 

Cas put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I understand that you are annoyed. If the idea makes you that uncomfortable, I won’t push it. Pimple or not, I still love you, ok?”

 

Dean let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. “I don’t look bad?”

 

Cas shook. “You could never look bad.”

 

Dean snorted, but his shoulders slumped in defeat. “Well, you’re obviously biased.”

 

“You’re an attractive man. One pimple isn’t going to change anything.”

 

He toed at the floor, suddenly shy. “I guess I can join you guys tonight…just this once. I’ll use some of your stuff too, I guess…but if I don’t like it, I’m never doing it again.”

 

Cas’s smile, although hesitant, did a lot to make Dean feel less like a piece of shit. Cas didn’t deserve his temper, and Dean was willing to do anything to make up up to Cas, even if making it up to him meant smearing mud on his face in the name of self-care. “Thank you, Dean, Claire will love having you join us.”

 

“So…do I gotta paint my nails?”

 

Cas huffed. “Of course not.”

 

Dean sighed in relief. “Great.”

 

“Claire will do it.”

 

Dean glared at the satisfied smile on Cas’s face and stormed off.

 

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

 

Claire ran into the house already gushing about her day, uncle Gabe trailing behind her with a smile. Gabe went straight for Cassie, wrapping the man in a warm hug and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. “The kiddo was great, Cassie.”

 

Dean let Gabe give him a one-armed hug. “Thanks for taking her, Gabe.”

 

“I could never say no to watching the jelly bean!” Gave leaned in and jabbed Dean lightly in the side. “When me and Kali have one of our own, you two can return the favor.”

 

Dean gulped nervously at the idea of Gabe and his terrifying his wife spawning a child. “Sure, Gabe.”

 

When Gabe left, Claire turned her attention from her father to Dean. “Did you hear? Uncle Gabe took me to Kids Corner! Dey had a climb wall and lots of tubey slides!”

 

“Sounds like fun. What else did you do?”

 

“Uncle Gabe let me jump into da pit, but he says I have ta be careful. I was ok, but Gabe did it and he hurt his butt!” She shrieked with laughter, making Dean smile.

 

“I woulda loved to see that.”

 

“I can't believe they let him jump into the foam pit.” Cas added from the kitchen. Snacks were being pulled from the cupboard, and Deans mouth was already watering at the sight of the potato chips and onion dip already waiting for him. Damn, he should have joined them months ago! “Dean, can you help Claire get settled? They were out later than I thought so we have to get this show on the road.”

 

“Sure, babe.”

 

“Guess what, Claire?” Cas asked his daughter. “Dean is doing self-care Sunday with us tonight!”

 

Her eyes widened almost comically. “Yay! I gets ta paint his toesies!”

 

Dean forced a smile. “You sure do.” He confirmed with a gently ruffle of her already tangled hair. That foam pit did wonders on the braid he had given her that morning. “Can I paint yours?”

 

“Um. I hate ta say dis, but…” she looked him in the eyes, her face pinched. “Daddy usually paints my toesies.”

 

“Aw. You sure I can’t do it? Just this once?”

 

She looked at her dad for confirmation, noting his smile and nod before turning back to Dean. “Ok. But just dis once.”

 

“Thank you, Claire bear.” He held his hand out for her to take, and once she did, he led her to her bedroom. “Let’s get you out of your clothes and into something more comfortable.”

 

“Ok!” She let go of his hand as soon as they entered her room, and she went straight to her dresser so she could pull out some clothes.

 

“Don’t forget to put on a diaper.” He reminded her. Dean would never forget the time he forgot to double check that she had pulled one on before bed, and she had woken up soaked with pee and shivering. He had to rush her to the shower while Cas stripped her bed and ran the sheets to the washing machine. They had barely gotten her to school on time that morning. “You’re going straight to bed after we’re done.”

 

“What movie we watching?” She asked, pulling out her Rainbow Dash nightie.

 

“No movie. Daddy said Bob Ross.” He reminded her.

 

She oohed in excitement. “Is it the one where he puts da birdies?”

 

Dean shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe if you hurry up, he’ll let you help pick.”

 

“Ok, ok ok…” she pulled her shirt over her head and threw it in the general direction of her hamper. Dean snorted in amusement, and left her to it.

 

Cas was still in the kitchen, his hand poised to open the microwave door as the popcorn popped. “Is she getting ready?”

 

Dean slid next to Cas and reached into the cupboard for a popcorn bowl, setting it next to Cas’s elbow so it would be ready for him. “Yeah. She’ll be out in a minute.”

 

“Thank you. Now, I need you to go to the bathroom and wash your face for me.”

 

Dean pouted. “Why? I’m gonna do the mask, isn’t that enough?”

 

Cas’s looked unimpressed. “After all of that complaining this morning, I am not letting you back out of your promise. We’re getting you a cleansing routine, Dean Winchester.”

 

“Oh.” He’d honestly completely forgotten about the damn zit. It had to still be just as red as it was that morning, but Dean didn’t remember Cas looking at it once. That meant one of two things. One, Cas was really sneaky and Dean just hadn’t noticed him staring. Two, Cas wasn’t lying when he said that he hadn’t noticed, and despite Dean pointing it out, he really didn’t care. The second one had to be true. There was no way that Dean would have missed Cas staring at it, and they had been together all day.

 

Dean smirked. “I like it when you use my full name.”

 

Cas smacked Deans hand where it began snaking up his shirt. “Go wash your face.”

 

“Fine.” He huffed. “We’ll continue that later.”

 

Cas joined him in the bathroom just as he began drying off his face. “I have this for you.”

 

Dean glanced at the custard cup in Cas’s hand and cringed. A second later, the smell hit him. “What the fuck, is that vinegar?”

 

Cas hummed in acknowledgement. “Apple cider vinegar.”

 

“What’s it for?”

 

“Your pimple. We’re going to use it as a spot treatment.”

 

He took a step back. “I aint puttin apple cider vinegar on my face. That can’t be good.”

 

“Don’t make this difficult, Dean. Do it for me. Ok?”

 

He took a deep breath, reading his argument, but deflated at the sight of Cas’s face. “You’re lucky I love you.”

 

With a smile, Cas dipped his finger in the mixture and put it on Deans pimple.

 

He scowled in the mirror. “I look like an idiot.”

 

“Don’t frown.” Cas admonished. “It will make the clay crack.”

 

“How long do I gotta have this on?”

 

Cas pulled out his phone and showed Dean the timer he was setting. “10 minutes, and then we’ll do the sheet masks with Claire.”

 

“This is annoying.” He complained.

 

Cas slapped Dean playfully on the ass. “You think this is annoying? Just wait until I take you shopping for a cleanser.”

 

“The soap I use is fine.”

 

Cas pursed his lips. “The bar soap is stripping your face of its natural oils and killing your moisture barrier. That’s why your face feels tight after you wash it. Also, the PH balance of that soap is probably way off. You can’t use the same thing on your face that you use on your body…”

 

“Oh…keep talking dirty to me.”

 

“I won’t be distracted. You’ll have a new cleanser, and then we’ll add a toner and moisturizer. Once you show that you can listen, we’ll talk about serums.”

 

Dean bit his lip. Fuck, he loved getting his boyfriend all worked up. “Is this how you talk to your students, Cas? Because if it is, I’m gonna be a little jealous.”

 

Cas narrowed his eyes, his face reddening. “I’m going to go check on Claire.”

 

He watched Cas leave, noting that the man had left his phone behind so Dean would know when the time was up. The damn thing was already uncomfortable as it dried, pulling lightly at his skin. He raised his eyebrows experimentally, and watched as the patch of clay cracked. He winced and hoped that Cas wouldn’t come in and see that he hadn’t listened.

 

By the time he was finally able to wash off the mask, Cas and Claire were already waiting in the living room with a sparkly pink box on the coffee table sandwiched between the snacks.

 

Claire was already trying to choose which episode she wanted to watch based on the thumbnail. “I can’t find da birdie one!”

 

“Just pick one, Claire.” Cas told her. “They’re all nice.”

 

“But I want da birdie one!” she complained.

 

Dean jumped in before she could cause a scene. “Look at that one, Claire. There are trees. Don’t you love it when he paints happy little trees?”

 

She appeared to think for a moment. “Yeah. Its nice. I like da mountains too. Does dat one have the mountains?”

 

Dean nodded and pointed them out to her in the thumbnail. “This one has both.”

 

“Ok.” She sighed deeply, acting like she was really put out by it all. “It’s ok den.”

 

Dean sighed in relief and joined them on the couch, sitting on the other side of Claire so that she was sandwiched between the two of them. The sparkly pink box was opened, and the contents were revealed to be sheet masks and nail polish. Claire went straight for the doggy print sheet mask, gushing about wanting to look like a doggy, and they both smiled at her enthusiasm. After watching Cas choose a collagen mask, Dean bypassed the one with the picture of a snail on it (ew) and grabbed the least weird one he could find- cucumber. With a little help from Cas, Dean was able to unfold the slimy thing and settle it on his face. What happened next was the most uncomfortable 20 minutes of his life. The damn thing started sliding five minutes in, and every time he commented on the show, the thing started peeling off of the areas around his nose and he had to constantly adjust the mask so it was actually touching his whole face. Claire and Cas seemed to be having no problem with theirs, despite Claire’s being too big for her, but Dean was sure that was because they put one on once a week and were used to it.

 

When the alarm on Cas’s phone went off, Cas paused Bob Ross and collected their masks, instructing them to rub the leftover slime onto their faces until it was absorbed. Dean was so relieved that he could get the damn mask off, he was more than happy to help Cas line up the nail polish so Emma could pick out some colors for them. Anything was better than that sheet mask.

 

She chose a fluorescent pink for Cas to paint his toes, and (thankfully) a more muted pink for Dean. He supposed it didn’t matter what color she picked for his toes, since no one was going to see them anyways (and he was likely going to take it off before bed if Cas would let him), but still _…he’d_ know what color his toes were.

 

He watched as she painted his toes sloppily, hands shaking, and sometimes missing his toenails completely. If the nail polish had been red, it would have looked like a crime scene. By the time she got to the third tow on the second foot, she had gotten bored and announced she was done and it was his turn to paint her toes. With a head full of confidence, he uncapped the nail polish and got to work on her toes. It was after the third time that he had to wipe nail polish off her skin that he realized that it was a lot harder than it looked. The first reason being the tiny size of her nails compared to the brush, and the second reason being the fact that she wouldn’t sit still. Cas, who had been left to do his toes alone since Dean and Claire had teamed up, watched on in amusement.

 

When all was said and done, Claire and Dean looked like their toes were ran over by a truck, and Cas’s looked like he got his professionally done. Dean was only a little bit bitter.

 

They settled in to watch more Bob Ross, taking turns eating popcorn and chips out of the bowls that took up almost the whole coffee table. Cas’s hand, which had been resting on the back of the couch, stroked his neck, scraping his nails into Deans hair every once in a while. He was super fucking content to sit on this couch with two of his favorite people all night. Cas with his massaging fingers, and Claire who was stretched across both men, her head in his lap and feet resting in her dads. It didn’t take him long to figure out that the night was less about self-care (despite its name), and more about spending time together and bonding.

 

Cas clicked off of Netflix when Claire started yawning, signaling the end of their night. She nuzzled Deans thigh with her face, her eyes slipping shut, and he smiled down at her. Cas’s fingers resumed their scratching, and now even Dean was getting sleepy despite it only being 8:30.

 

With a big sigh, Cas shifted Claire’s legs off of him and stood, arching his back and rubbing at his neck. Smiling apologetically, he reached down and stroked Claire’s hair. “Time for bed.”

 

She sniffed. “Can I stay up wif Dean?”

 

Dean smiled at her and ran his fingers through his hair. “Although that sounds like a great idea, I’m tired too, kiddo. I think I’ll go to bed next.”

 

She pouted, but let her dad scoop her off of Deans lap without any protest. “Fine…”

 

“I’ll put her to bed. Can you clean up?”

 

Dean nodded and got up so he could clear the coffee table of clutter. The bowls were washed quickly, and Dean followed the sound of Cas singing Claire’s night time song into her bedroom, where he arrived just in time to join him in the last verse. After giving her a kiss goodnight, Cas dragged him into the bathroom. Cas was a smart man, and it looked like he knew that if he didn’t get Dean moisturized (or whatever shit Cas was planning to put on his face), he would try to find a way out of it.

 

Cas held up a cotton ball and soaked it with what looked like a water in a fancy blue bottle. “I’m going to clean the area just around the pimple with micellar water and then have you put a hydrocolloid patch on the pimple.”

 

“I can’t believe you bought water in a bottle like that. Can’t you just get water from the sink? And why do we have to do that? I already washed my face.”

 

Cas shook his head, a small smile on his face. “It’s micellar water, Dean. It’s different. And your skin needs to be clean and dry for the patch.”

 

“Yeah?” He asked. “How is it different? Looks exactly the same.”

 

Cas paused in his ministrations. “I actually don’t know, but its cleansing water…I promise. Claire doesn’t ask nearly as many questions, you know.”

 

Dean scoffed but didn’t interrupt Cas as he wiped Deans forehead clean and fanned the area dry when he was done.

 

“Here.” Cas handed him a sheet of plastic that held small band aid looking things. “Put one on the pimple.”

 

Dean did as he was told and looked at Cas with raised eyebrows when he was done. “There. Is that all?”

 

Cas ignored his attitude. “No. Next we moisturize, and then we cuddle on the couch while we finish Bob Ross.”

 

Dean smiled. “Sounds good to me.”

 

Cas instructed Dean on how to properly rub moisturizer into his skin (“Rub upwards, Dean. Do you want wrinkles?”), and then he made Dean sit through watching him work through his own routine. After the 4th product, Dean scoffed. “Come on, Cas…do you really need this stuff?”

 

Cas, who was dripping a serum on his face, paused with a sigh. “I had bad acne growing up. Nothing worked, and the only advice that people seemed to give me was to wash my face more. Right before I went to college, I found a forum dedicated to skin care. I worked out a routine with products that worked for me, and never looked back. I want to teach Claire to take care of herself inside and out, and that includes properly caring for the skin she was given.”

 

Dean couldn’t imagine Cas as a pimply little teenager. “That’s cool.”

 

Cas nodded and finished everything off by applying his moisturizer. “Ok, lets go watch Bob Ross.”

 

They finished the episode they had started with Claire, and then watched one more before calling it a night. Cas didn’t have any classes the next day, but Dean still had to work, so they both trudged to the bathroom so they could brush their teeth and get ready for bed.

 

Teeth freshly clean, Dean walked into the bedroom and turned down the bed. “Thanks for all the help with the-” he waved his hand around his face, “-but think I look ridiculous with this thing on my forehead.”

 

Cas huffed as he dug through his dresser, pushing aside anything of Deans as he began to set out the clothes he would wear the next day. It had only taken a few months for Cas to clear out some space in his dresser for Dean, and it was a good thing too since Dean slept over at Cas’s at least 5 days a week. “Well, I think you look sexy.”

 

Dean sauntered up to Cas. “Yeah? Pimple patches do it for you, Cas?”

 

Cas’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

 

“Still think I’m sexy when I do this?” He asked, pulling his loose-fitting t-shirt over his head and throwing it behind him.

 

“If I ignore the fact that you threw your clothes on the ground, then yes. You know how I feel about an untidy bedroom, Dean.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah…something about peace and comfort. More importantly, how about if I do this?” He asked, teasing at the drawstring of his sleep pants and inching down until the top of his boxers were showing. “Does this get you goin?”

 

Cas’s eyes flicked behind Dean, no doubt checking to see if the door was closed.

 

“No?” He questioned at Cas’s silence. Dean grabbed Cas’s hands, pulling him away from the dresser and towards the bed. He pushed until Cas’s knees hit the frame, and he had no choice but to sit. Dean dropped to his knees, shuffling forward until he was between Cas’s spread legs. Already, Cas’s body was showing interest. “What about this? Does this do it for you?”

 

Cas groaned low. “You’re going to kill me.”

 

Dean chuckled and placed both hands on Cas’s thighs, squeezing hard enough for Cas to catch his breath. “What. You don’t like it?”

 

Cas bit his lip. “Dean.”

 

Dean licked his bottom lip and looked up at Cas through his blond lashes. “What if I asked you to fuck me, Cas? Would that do-”

 

“Get on the bed, Dean.” Cas commanded, his voice sending shivers down Dean’s body.

 

“Yes, sir.” He replied happily and immediately starting stripping.

 

Cas stood up and yanked off his shirt, pulling it over his already messy hair and tossing it onto the pile of clothes that was slowly growing as both men undressed.

 

The next morning when he peeled off the patch, the pimple from hell was nothing but a small red dot, barely even noticeable to Dean’s sharp eyes. Cas didn’t even say an ‘I told you so’, much to Dean’s relief.

 

He packed both Cas and Claire into his baby and drove them to the department store. It took them almost an hour, but Dean walked away with two cleansers (“I don’t care what you say, Dean. You _must_ double cleanse”), a toner, a vitamin c and e serum, a moisturizer, and some sunscreen. It took him two days to get the routine right. It took him 4 days to realize that his skin was fucking glowing, and that maybe- just maybe- Cas was right. It took him 7 days to realize that sunscreen would help prevent wrinkling. After that, Dean was hooked.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, comments are greatly appreciated!


End file.
